The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1887-02-05
HELPING THE KING.

u'6 NssNNs
p,iae Faithful. in II Small Thing
shsnberd Roy Became Greatly Hon
ored.
There was u little shepherd-boy who
kept his sheep down in Il lonely valley
MAR was raging in the land, and thu
bow would have liked to 90 out anC
6cht against the enemy, but he was toe
Eoung. He was a good boy, careful
# his sheep and kind to his dog. and
Ictiye and Industrious at his work
md at home he was obcdicnt and gen.
fle, and always ready to do 4 good
urn for any one. But. though he liked
i, work, he would have liked better to
6rht, and he was very sorry that he
loula not be a soldier. One day a
ong column of loose soldiers, with
bright red coats and flashing helmets.
md trumpets sounding. rode through
he valley on their way to battle.
Among them was u young soldier, a
kousin Of the shcpherd-boy and not
many years older. The boy called to
bim. and babe him goodbye, and as
bp soldiers disappeared at the end OF
be- valley, he said to himself: 81
eish ! were as old as my
Eousin, that / might 60 out to
(ght the Kings battles. He will risk
is life to help the King. and, may be,
e may do something great, and help
b win u battle and SAVE our country;
at | can do nothing but stay here and
Fatch Il few sheep. | wish | could do
pmetting to help the King" As he
bid these words II pigeon came came
urredly flying close over his head.
Fhc boy looked up, and there was a
awk chasing after her. The poor bird
lew round and round. and here and
here, and managed to escape as far as
be next meadow; but she was close
bllowed at every turn by the hungry
awk. and it was clear that she would
+ caught In II minute, if no help came.
There was no time to go round by the
Pate. 80 in a moment the boy jumped
p high st0ne-wall that parted the
no meadows; it was high wall. and
Fere was Il steep, rough rock on the
fher side. The jump was a dangerous
Pc, hut without n moments hesitation
Pc brave lad lcaped down. and
Pc next moment-though he sprain-
his foot and fell, striking one
peek against Il sharp edge in the
was up again on his feet,
Pd ilinging his crook at the hawk
f stopped him just in time to save the
por trembling pigeon. Then he took
? The pigeon. more dead than alive,
pd stroked it gently. In 4 few min
Fes 1t seemed to gain strength and
p'irAgr, Meantime, the shepherd-b boy,
Ihp'hg as hr went. carried the bird
'0'h to the meadow where he was
fcping his sheep. Aud now, while he ,
aS feeding the pigeon with some bread
'im's 1t came into his mind: ''What
p ! to do with this pretty bird?" At
81 he said: II will take it home to my +;
Others and sisters. 'How pleased .
ey will be' Then it occurred to !
N; Perhaps the pigeon belongs to ,
one else. Indeed it must, for it's ,
! Il wild wood-pigcon. but a tame ;
and besides, some one has tied Il
! thread and a piece of paper round ,
meek. But then, have not | savedit t? i,
would have been killed hut for me. 4
f''y 1t belongs to mo. And besides, +,
'et II 60, may not another hawk kill :,
All this he thought to himself. and q
OF 1t be spoke aloud. but when :,
mad finished, his conscience told him !;
he ought not to keep the pigeon; u
was very hard to let it go, bat It was u
nt' 80 he kissed the pigeon and y
u: "Good-bye; go home to your v
s'er Who gave you your little silk :,
away new the pigeon straight toward fe
Astle At the top of a hill q long way Of
anu at the same time away galloped nj
'an on horseback down in the deep RI
y mat ran by the side of the meadow. I'll
BOY wondered for a minute who it II
mat had been quietly waiting in ri
lane but soon he forgot all about q.
" Now, you must know that this
VINO galloped off when the pigeon
away was no other than the King. ca